Qian Clan Trading Firm

That night.

Wang Shouzhe's carriage returned to the main residence, where he wrote several letters and handed them to his retainers for delivery.

He wanted to alert the families with closer ties as soon as possible, to prevent them from harboring resentment toward the unscathed Wang Clan after they suffered losses. Even if they had already discovered signs of the pestilence, this gesture of goodwill from the Wang Clan would do no harm.

Beyond that, Wang Shouzhe took only two retainers and set out on horseback through the night. After arriving at Dingpu Ferry, they secretly crossed the An River on a family fishing boat and galloped all the way to the city of Changning Guard, arriving just as the sky began to brighten.

The city walls of Changning stood majestic and shimmering under the morning sun.

The walls were over ten zhang high, constructed entirely of thick, solid black stone bricks, with soldiers fully equipped in armor and crossbows stationed along the battlements. Every few dozen zhang, a giant bed crossbow was positioned for defense.

Though Changning Guard was classified merely as a county-level city, it was far more imposing and formidable than the famous cities of Earth.

There was no help for it; this world was not ancient China. In the dangerous wilderness outside, many powerful demonic beasts and fierce creatures roamed. Once a beast tide occurred, high walls and sturdy fortifications were humanity's only barrier.

Ping'an Town had walls too, but compared to the Guard city, they were leagues apart.

The three horses in Wang Shouzhe's party slowed to a halt before the city gate. They dismounted and joined the queue of people entering the city early. However, those entering at this hour were mostly farmers, small peddlers, and craftsmen—commoners.

The moment they saw Wang Shouzhe and his retainers, who were dressed in fine clothes and leading tall, sturdy horses, they instinctively stepped aside in awe.

In the Great Qian Kingdom, the Profound Martial Aristocratic Clans were the privileged class; even the most destitute minor clan was far beyond the reach of commoners.

At the East City Gate.

Two fully armored soldiers approached, checked Wang Shouzhe's clan token, and then respectfully invited him into the city.

Once inside, he did not delay, leading his horse directly toward the Qian Clan Trading Firm. The Qian Clan Trading Firm had businesses spread throughout Longzuo Prefecture, possessing immense strength and an excellent reputation. The Pest-Exterminating Powder refined by the Purple Mansion Academy was managed primarily by the Qian Clan Trading Firm.

From this single item alone, the Qian Clan Trading Firm made a fortune, not to mention that their business extended far beyond just the Pest-Exterminating Powder.

He produced his Wang Clan token, left his retainers to wait outside, and was led by a doorman into a side hall within the firm. A maid served tea and fruit before withdrawing.

Wang Shouzhe sipped his tea calmly, looking around. Even for a side hall in a branch office, it was decorated with extreme luxury; the screens and furniture made of precious woods, and the antique ornaments placed casually about, were all of immense value.

With Wang Shouzhe's relatively "shallow" knowledge, he could still perceive the worth of the decorations in this room. They were worth at least several thousand Qian Gold, showcasing the deep financial resources of the Qian Clan Trading Firm—truly worthy of being one of the powerful clans dominating Longzuo.

As a transmigrator, Wang Shouzhe naturally understood the psychological tactics of the Qian Clan Trading Firm.

After waiting for about a quarter of an hour.

A middle-aged man with a fair, plump build and a face that seemed to broadcast "harmony brings wealth" walked in: "For the Clan Leader of the Ping'an Wang Clan to visit in person, I, Qian, have failed to welcome you properly. Please forgive me, please forgive me."

Wang Shouzhe narrowed his eyes. The other party's calm, polite remark revealed a massive amount of information.

He had only been Clan Leader for a mere two or three days, and given the current decline of the Ping'an Wang Clan, even a change in leadership shouldn't have attracted much attention. Yet, the Qian Clan Trading Firm had not only noticed, but within a quarter of an hour, they had confirmed his identity.

They were truly worthy of being one of the commercial giants dominating Longzuo; their information-gathering capability was formidable. Moreover, the man's surname was Qian, and his bearing was extraordinary; he was likely a blood relative of the Qian Clan.

"Not at all, not at all. It was presumptuous of me to come unannounced; to be received by Manager Qian personally is already a great honor." Wang Shouzhe naturally responded with polite humility. This man surnamed Qian could not possibly be the shopkeeper.

The Qian Clan Trading Firm was massive; even the shopkeeper of the Changning branch was a significant figure and would not come to receive the Qi Refining Realm leader of a declining clan like him.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, they both sat down.

Once seated, they didn't immediately discuss business. Instead, Manager Qian spoke with Wang Shouzhe about everything from Ancestor Zhouxuan to Ancestor Longyan, and then to Wang Shouzhe's achievement in passing the preliminary examination for the Purple Mansion Academy. His fluent conversation revealed how well he had done his homework.

Wang Shouzhe had grand designs for this trip, so he could not show weakness. He accompanied the man in idle chatter, inadvertently revealing a logical and analytical capacity superior to that of the natives.

"It is a pity, a great pity. With your knowledge, Brother Shouzhe, if you were to participate in the final examination of the Purple Mansion Academy, becoming a disciple would be a certainty," Manager Qian said, inadvertently placing more importance on Wang Shouzhe, half-flattering and half-sighing. "The Purple Mansion Academy does not only value cultivation talent; they also prize the vision and perspective of their disciples. I believe that with you at the helm, the Wang Clan will return to its peak sooner or later, and perhaps even reach greater heights."

"Brother Qian, please don't mock your younger brother." Wang Shouzhe shook his head with a wry smile. "Our Ping'an Wang Clan only seeks to survive in peace; we have no other requests."

Under their mutual courtesy, the two had already begun addressing each other as brothers.

"Too modest, too modest. Tell me, Brother Shouzhe, since you rushed here to my Qian Clan Trading Firm in the middle of the night, could it be that you have some major business to conduct?" After chatting for a long while, Manager Qian finally couldn't hold back any longer and steered the conversation toward the main topic.

Hearing this, Wang Shouzhe gently set down his teacup, his eyes filled with composure: "Speaking of which, I truly do need Brother Qian's help. I need five thousand bags of Pest-Exterminating Powder."

As soon as these words were spoken, Manager Qian's hand trembled suddenly. He looked at Wang Shouzhe in disbelief, and after a long moment, suppressed his dissatisfaction: "Brother Shouzhe, are you here to tease me?"

"Brother Qian, why do you say that?" Wang Shouzhe was calm and composed. "A massive Qian Clan Trading Firm surely doesn't lack five thousand bags of Pest-Exterminating Powder, does it?"

"Brother, do you know how much five thousand bags of Pest-Exterminating Powder is? One bag is about a hundred jin, enough for a hundred mu of fertile land after dilution. Five thousand bags is enough for five hundred thousand mu of farmland." Manager Qian frowned and said, "Our Changning Guard and all the towns under its jurisdiction combined only have about one point five million mu of fertile land."

"I know." Wang Shouzhe's expression did not fluctuate in the slightest, his gaze very earnest.

Manager Qian's expression gradually became intriguing: "Brother, you are not joking?"

"Naturally, I am not joking." Wang Shouzhe said, "Although my Ping'an Wang Clan is only a ninth-rank minor clan, we would not be so ignorant of the gravity of the situation."

"Good, good, good. Brother, you have truly given this elder brother a massive surprise. I will take this deal." Manager Qian said with a pleased expression, "However, the Changning branch of the Qian Clan Trading Firm only has two thousand bags in stock. The remaining three thousand will need to be transferred from other branches, which will take at least ten days."

"Why is the stock so low?" Wang Shouzhe frowned slightly.

"This is already not low; in previous years, the stock was basically cleared out." Manager Qian said sternly, "Because it involves the planting and production of raw materials, the annual output of Pest-Exterminating Powder is planned in advance. Last year, the raw material harvest was bountiful, and production increased by more than ten percent. We originally wanted to sell it to the various clans at a low price, but unexpectedly, only a few clans were willing to spend money to stockpile it. So, this batch from last winter is the two thousand bags remaining in our Changning Guard."

"Brother, why were those clans unwilling to stockpile while the price was low?" Wang Shouzhe asked casually.

"This... well, this isn't exactly a secret anymore. Many clans already know, so telling you, brother, doesn't violate clan rules." Manager Qian hesitated for a moment before saying helplessly, "The medicinal herbs used in the Pest-Exterminating Powder are all grown in the herb fields of many clans. Because the profits were good, more and more clans invested in herb fields. In recent years, the output has been getting higher and higher, and we have been suppressing the purchase price of raw materials. The output of this winter's batch of Pest-Exterminating Powder is likely... you know, the larger the clan, the better informed they are."

Heh. Wang Shouzhe understood. This was overcapacity and a saturated market. Although he was not a professional in economics, his vision and awareness still surpassed the natives of this fantasy world.

"In that case." Wang Shouzhe calculated for a moment and said, "I want both the two thousand bags of stock in the firm and the three thousand bags of futures."

"This... Brother Shouzhe, what are 'futures'?" Manager Qian did not understand the term at all, his round, plump face filled with confusion.